Beauty and the Beast
by NarutoRomantic
Summary: Slight AU. Sasuke/Sakura. SasuSaku. Destroyed by the guilt of killing Itachi, Sasuke was transformed into a monster. Still the handsome crown prince of Konoha on the outside, his heart was frozen - only to be thawed by true love. But after many failed attempts, he's lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love... a beast? Please Review!
1. She's Nothing Like the Rest of Us

**Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 01: She's Nothing like the Rest of Us**

Ino stood by the front door of her flower shop, tapping her foot impatiently. She'd stop every few seconds, look to her right, let out a disgruntled sigh, and resume tapping. Where the hell had the pinkette wandered off to?

Suddenly, pale arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her into a tight embrace. She barely had a chance to react before her friend was shoving the book into her face, proudly displaying her latest find from the local bookstore.

"You wouldn't believe it, Ino!" She was smiling so hard, Ino worried it would split her face in two. "Kakashi-sensi gave it to me to keep!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Only because you're the only one in the village who would be caught _dead_ with that fairytale mumbo-jumbo. Why don't you try reading a book on ninjutsu? Tsunade-sama thinks it would suit you."

Sakura ignored her. "I think you could stand to fantasize a little."

"About what? Some prince that's gonna come and sweep me off my feet?" Ino sassed. "Not likely."

"Wouldn't it be nice, though?" She asked dreamily.

"If you got your head out of the clouds and came back down to planet earth for a minute? Yeah, that would be real nice." Ino took a key out of her pocket and locked up the store.

"No, silly." Sakura said, shaking her head. "To be swept off your feet by a prince."

It was just a fantasy, of course. The closest their people had to royalty was the myth that was the Uchiha clan – the true-born prince, Itachi, had massacred his entire family, sparing only his little brother, Sasuke. After Itachi's death, the throne went to Sasuke. But Sasuke had mysteriously disappeared the night before his coronation, and hadn't been seen since.

Some said that he'd been cursed, and was in hiding, ashamed of his grotesque new body. Others said that avenging his clan had been like a double-edged sword, eventually costing him his own life as well.

"So…" Ino had started to move toward the training grounds, Sakura falling slightly behind. She already had her nose in that good-for-nothing book. "Have you thought anymore about Naruto's proposal?"

Sakura frowned. "What is there to think about? I told him no last time, and I'll tell him no this time."

Ino paused, fixing her best friend with a serious look. "Sakura, you're already eighteen. You don't have a job. You don't have a boyfriend." She sighed, "You can't live off your parents forever."

"Well, not all of us were lucky enough to get engaged to an artist." Sakura snapped back.

Really, who was Ino to talk about _her_ life? She had inherited her place in life, from her supermodel looks to her flower shop. She could have anyone that she wanted, and she was certainly marrying well. Sai was a renowned ninja, as well as an incredibly talented artist. His social skills needed some work, but really, that was almost an afterthought when he looked at you with those coal black eyes…

And then there was Sakura. The boys didn't flock to her like they did to Ino. She was running out of reasons to turn down Naruto, and worried that if she didn't accept his proposal, her father would. She'd lost her last job for the exact same reason that Ino was berating her now – her head was up in the clouds, and she just couldn't seem to come back down to earth. She didn't want to.

Ino sighed. "I'm just trying to look out for you. You're my friend."

"I just… I don't think that I'm cut out for marriage, is all. Not like you are, at least." Sakura said softly. "And I could never marry Naruto. We're not compatible at all."

Sakura had known Naruto almost her entire life. She'd known about his 'little' crush on her for almost ten years now – and he wasn't any closer to winning her heart now as he had been then. They were better as friends. If they ever got married, she'd probably kill him.

Ino put her hands on her hips, "He's not your conventional prince charming, but -,"

But Sakura cut her off, "He's not a prince charming at all! It's _nothing_ like it is in the books!" She huffed.

In the books, the valiant prince was always there to save the day – he woke the sleeping princess with true love's kiss, he brought the dead princess back to life with true love's kiss… there was a theme there. The only time she'd kissed Naruto had promptly ended when the boy had passed out. She wasn't really looking for an encore.

But it wasn't always the prince doing the saving. Sometimes, the princess could break the spell too. It was true love's kiss that had turned the frog back into a prince, and the beautiful young woman's love that had transformed the beast into a handsome prince. Sakura's kiss had merely turned Naruto into a bumbling buffoon.

"I don't want to talk about Naruto anymore." Sakura said suddenly. "How are the wedding preparations going?"

Ino took a seat on the edge of a nearby fountain, Sakura sitting down beside her. "Oh, they're going." She looked up at the sky, sucking in a deep breath, "The wedding is two weeks away, and I still don't have a dress."

Sakura opened her book, pointing at a picture of a blonde-haired girl in a fancy blue dress. "How about something like this? Blue has always looked really pretty on you."

Ino just laughed. "Your little book has pictures in it, too?"

"Not pictures," she snapped the book closed, holding it to her almost-flat chest defensively. "Illustrations."

"There's a difference?" She teased.

Sakura opened her mouth to answer that _yes_ , there was an incredibly big difference, when she noticed a blonde orange-and-black blob fast approaching from the distance. Oh no. She turned to Ino, who smiled mischievously. She'd known exactly what she was doing in leading Sakura here. A sweaty Naruto was approaching from the training grounds, smiling broadly and waving at the girls as he approached.

"I'll just leave the two of you alone, then." Ino stood, brushing invisible dirt from her purple skirt. "I'll see you later, Sakura." Making a quick hand signal, she teleported away just as Naruto arrived.

 **0/0/0/0**

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" He smiled brightly at her. He plopped down ungracefully beside her, taking the place that Ino just vacated. "Whatcha reading?"

She opened to a random page and pretended to be immersed in the story. "A book."

Naruto frowned. "I can see that." He tapped the front cover, where the title would be. But the book was so old that the title had faded with the years. "What's it about?"

She sighed, "It's a book of fairytales."

"You really believe all that "magic" and "happily ever after" crap?" He laughed.

Naruto didn't believe in destiny or fate. He believed in writing the ending to his own story, not just blindly following along some path already set for him, just to reach some predetermined end. And wasn't that exactly what fairytales promoted? Only _one_ girl had the power to break the prince's spell – there was no way to change who that girl was. You either _were_ or you _weren't_. Sakura held her book a little tighter.

"Have you given anymore thought to my proposal?" Naruto changed the subject. Sakura wasn't surprised; she had known that the book wouldn't interest him for long.

"I've thought about it, yes." Sakura said nonchalantly. "And my answer is still 'no'."

" _Sakura-chan!"_ He whined pathetically.

She bit the inside of her lip, her patience wearing thin. This was exactly what she'd been referring to when she'd admitted she'd probably kill him if they ever were to marry. He had a heart of gold and she loved him like a friend, but he was still so immature. Deep down, she wondered if he'd ever grow up.

And then she realized that he wouldn't be the same loveable dobe if he did, and she really wouldn't have him any other way. But that still didn't make her want to marry him.

"Why do you want to marry me, Naruto?" Now it was Sakura's turn to turn the tables. Naruto looked like he'd been caught off guard by the question, but he didn't let it throw him for long.

Rising to his feet, he said emphatically, "You're beautiful, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura frowned. "Is that the _only_ reason you want to marry me?"

Once again, Naruto looked to be caught off guard. "Is that a bad thing?"

Sakura was conflicted. Nobody had ever called her beautiful before – that was a title normally reserved for Ino. But that shouldn't be the only reason why Naruto wanted to marry her. Their culture didn't regard physical beauty highly, instead focusing on strength and battle prowess. She'd worked hard and come a long way, and even if she was at a sort of stalemate in her life right now, that should certainly could for something.

"Do you love me, Naruto?" She asked.

"Of course I do!" He answered a little too quickly.

Again, not an actual answer. At least, not the one she'd been looking for. In the book, when it came to love confessions, they practically _bled_ romance. The prince would read romantic poetry, or they'd take a boat out on the lake under a starlit sky…

Okay, so the love confession hadn't actually happened in that scene – but it got the point across.

At the very least, was it too much to expect him to actually _say the words_? Proclaiming "of course I do" proved absolutely nothing, as far as Sakura was concerned – except, perhaps, that Naruto felt absolutely nothing for her at all. Sakura closed her book, her mind made up.

"Much as I am flattered by your proposal, the answer is still 'no'." Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off, "And until you understand why, the answer will remain 'no'."

"Sakura…" Naruto trailed off, not quite sure what to say to that.

But Sakura had already risen to her feet and had started to walk away, "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm late. I should start heading home or dad will worry."

"Tomorrow, then." Naruto attempted to recover.

Sakura shrugged. "Probably not."

Oh, but that wasn't true, and they both knew it. Somehow, Naruto would track her down tomorrow, and he'd bring up the proposal yet again. They'd go through the same process until she eventually caved and said 'yes' – and that wasn't about to happen anytime soon. She just hoped that Naruto realized he was settling in for the long haul.

 **0/0/0/0**

Upon arriving home, Sakura set her book down on the coffee table and toed off her sandals. "Dad? I'm home!"

Her father was nowhere to be found, however. She wasn't too worried. Her father kept all sorts of hours, and was known to be found in the strangest of places at the strangest of times.

Sometimes, she thought that her father was the only one who understood her. And really, his 'understanding' was simply looking at the entire world with sarcasm. He didn't take himself, or anyone else, too seriously. Sakura wished that she could look at the world the same way.

That's when she noticed the note that had been taped in the archway to the foyer. She smiled, relieved. At least her father had left her something to let her know where he was…

But upon closer inspection, the note wasn't written by her father. Her heart froze in her chest when she realized that she didn't recognize the handwriting at all.

 _Haruno Sakura –_

 _If you ever want to see your father again, you have twelve hours to arrive at the coordinates given below. Tell no-one about this, or your father will be killed._

 _If you understand, I'd start moving. If you make good time, you might make it here in eleven and a half hours… provided the wolves don't finish you first._

 **0/0/0/0**

 **A/N:** Well, the fairytale has begun! Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. He's a Beast

**Bears of the west:** Thank you!

 **Strayedwolf94:** Glad to hear that you enjoyed the first chapter! I hope the same is true about the second :)

 **Guest:** Thanks!

 **Guest:** Here's another chapter for you! Glad to hear you liked the first one so much!

 **Marawa:** I'm so glad – I was worried that Sakura would come across too OOC. I'm so glad you like it!

 **0/0/0/0**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 02: He's a Beast**

The note fell out of Sakura's trembling hand. She knew those coordinates.

Grabbing her cloak, she secured it to her shoulders and started off in a run. Whoever had written the letter must've been fairly optimistic about the speed at which she'd be able to travel – the location mentioned was almost a day away, perhaps more. It was located deep within a dense forest. She'd be lucky if she didn't get lost.

Or, as the letter so eloquently put, she survived the wolves.

What had happened to her father? Had he been kidnapped and was being held for ransom? The idea was almost laughable. They had next to no money. What little they did have went toward her mother's hospital bills, to the machines keeping her alive. If they thought that she'd be able to provide them some enormous sum, they'd better think again.

But she couldn't come up with a better reason for her father's mysterious disappearance, or for his turning up in the middle of the forest. Having retired long ago, he was no longer an active ninja and had no reason to be venturing much farther than the city walls. And as he grew older, he found his health to be failing him as well. It wasn't like him to take such an unnecessary risk…

And with the frequent – and often violent – rainstorms the forest was known for, he certainly wouldn't be wandering around for no reason at all. Something was very, very wrong.

 **0/0/0/0**

Six hours in, and she needed to take her first break. She'd pushed herself so hard, she felt sick to her stomach. But there was a certain level of pride that crept in alongside the discomfort when she looked back and realized she could no longer see the mountainside where the Hokage's faces had been carved.

She'd covered nine hours distance in six. But there was still a ways to go, and no time to rest.

Kneeling down beside a nearby stream, she dipped her hands in and splashed some of the cool, clear water on her face. It brought her back to herself momentarily, and allowed her a chance to view her situation more clearly.

Her father was in danger, but she didn't know what _kind_. She was armed, yes, but not heavily. She might be able to take down a stray wolf that wandered away from the pack, but a hired hand? Not likely. She didn't have anything of value to trade for her father's life, either. Silently, she cursed herself for not thinking ahead and rushing out like she had. But she'd been so scared…

Hell, she was _still_ scared.

But fear wasn't going to help her now – not unless she could successfully channel it into something useful. Something powerful. Courage was born in the darkest of moments, right? There was no time to look back and dwell on what might have been. She didn't have enough time to turn back and rectify it, so she'd have to push it to the back of her mind and try to forget about it.

Cupping her hands, she filled them with water and took a long drink. There was some fruit in her bag, and she ate about half of it. Considering it was the only food she had, she figured she'd better try and make it last.

When she took off running again, she felt the first splash of ice-cold water hit her forehead. She flinched, pausing just a moment to look up at the sky. Though she couldn't see much through the heavy, emerald green foliage, what she could see was dark and unforgiving. A nasty storm was brewing.

She thought of her father, all alone in the forest. This couldn't have been the first storm he encountered. He was probably sick – coughing, sneezing, and wheezing. All while trying to protect himself from the monster holding him hostage. Sakura's leather-clad hand clenched in a fist, and suddenly she was moving faster.

She'd show those fools that they didn't know who they were messing with.

 **0/0/0/0**

It was nearing the eleventh hour when Sakura finally realized that she was painfully lost. Her stomach clenched in rebellion – since stopping five hours earlier, she hadn't once stopped to eat.

She was absolutely _drenched_. Bubblegum pink strands of hair had darkened in color, turning almost hot pink. Her labored breaths were causing little puffs of air in front of her, and her body shivered from the cold. The temperature had easily dropped twenty degrees.

It was then that she saw the heavy, wrought iron gate in front of her. Neatly set in the middle of the gate was a large 'U'. Sakura tentatively pressed on the gate, flinching when it let out an ungodly squeal as it opened.

Who could be so confident in their security that they didn't feel the need to lock their front gate?

Sakura was on high-alert as she pressed through the front gardens to the front door, but as it turned out, her carefulness was unnecessary. The gardens were completely abandoned, and looked as if they hadn't been tended to in years. The flowers drooped, in all different stages of decay. Some had completely shriveled and died, while others, once colorful and vibrant, looked like their petals had been charred.

Finally, she reached the door. Like the gate, there were two ornate 'U's on the doors, one on each side. They were gold, set against a rich velvety red backdrop. They practically oozed expensive taste and class. Sakura reached out to touch one, but thought better of it at the last minute. Instead, she reached directly below it, grabbing hold of one of the golden knockers and knocking once. Much to her surprise, the door just opened.

Hesitantly, she entered inside. "Hello? Is anybody there?" She looked around, seeing nothing but a dusty, abandoned manor. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched…

"It's a girl!" A hushed whisper came from atop the mantle. "A girl, un!"

"Shut up, brat." An agitated grunt came in response. "You act like you've never seen a girl before."

There was some quiet stammering, as if the first wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Then, "Not in a very long time, un. And certainly not one that looks like _that_!"

Sakura turned in their direction, earning another disgruntled response from the second voice. "Hard of hearing now too, brat? I said shut up. You're attracting unnecessary attention."

"Hello?" Sakura called out again, turning the corner and looking directly at the two that were talking. She shook her head, running her hand through her dripping pink hair. "I could've sworn I heard something…"

She inspected the mantle closely. On it were two incredibly intricate works of art. The first was a clay bird, poised so that it looked like it could take flight at any moment. The second was a miniature puppet. It had dark red hair and sad brown eyes, and seemed to be fully equipped with its own array of miniature weapons. It even had a little chamber for its heart. Sakura reached out to touch the clay bird… only for it to nip her finger.

"Do you mind, un?" The bird snapped irritably. And then, the clay bird seemed to squish itself into a ball, before recreating itself into a miniature version of a teenage boy. He had long hair and mouths on his hands.

"Wonderful job, Deidara. Showing off for the human girl?" The puppet rolled his eyes, "Remember how well that went over when Master found you entertaining the old geezer…"

Deidara frowned. "You're one to talk about being old, Sasori-danna. How old are you, un? One hundred?"

Sasori swatted the clay boy upside the head, "Always spouting off at the mouth, aren't you?"

The clay had changed into a boy. The clay boy and the puppet were talking. Sakura's eyes rolled back in her head and she hit the ground with a soft thud, interrupting the argument that the two were having. Deidara looked panicked, while Sasori merely rolled his eyes.

"It's like she's never seen inanimate objects talk before…" Sasori mumbled agitatedly.

"What do we do, un? _What do we do_?" His eye grew wide as an idea suddenly came to him. Morphing back into his bird form, he flew over to the corner, ramming straight into the suit of armor. "Hidan? Hidan, wake up!"

The armor stirred, clattering loudly. It was still echoing from the assault, and when the visor lifted up so Hidan could "see" clearly, it was clear that it was hollow inside. "What the hell, asshole? I was sleeping there!"

"The girl passed out, un. We need to move her over by the fire." Deidara said.

"You stupid, pretty boy? Don't you remember what happened to the last fool that we helped?" And then, softer, "Don't you remember what happened to _us_? No _way_ I'm sticking my neck out for you again!"

"It's no use." Sasori said. "The curse must've changed his brains to clay, as well as his body. He's an idiot. It can't be helped." The puppet shrugged.

"Just do it, Hidan." Deidara whined. "You're the only one with arms big enough to move her."

Hidan sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to win this argument. Ambling over to the girl, he bent, his metal body groaning almost as awfully as the gate earlier. He needed oil, and soon. Hopefully, their Master took pity on him and oiled him soon, instead of tearing him up for scraps after finding out about this betrayal. Their Master had been painfully clear about his stance on outsiders after the old man had found them – no more.

He lifted her up, trying to be careful with her. If he'd been more himself, and their Master hadn't taken away his scythe, he'd be thinking about how she'd make a perfect sacrifice to Lord Jashin… if she wasn't unconscious. Prey that didn't put up a fight was a mockery of Lord Jashin – even if they never stood a chance against Hidan, they needed to have their chance. So he set her down in front of the fire, unharmed.

Deidara picked up a blanket in his beak and flew it over to her, before dropping it over her unmoving body. She looked so peaceful, lying there. And so familiar… "She looks familiar, don't you think, un?" He asked.

Sasori rolled his eyes. "You really are a dolt, aren't you?" Hopping down off the mantle, he stood beside the girl. "She's the prisoner's daughter."

 **0/0/0/0**

Sakura awoke to a painful tearing sensation in her scalp. Her eyes snapped open, hand immediately reaching for her weapon… only to find that she had been unarmed while she was out. Frantically, she tried to look around, only to realize that the burning sensation in her scalp had come from a hand knotted in her hair.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" She heard a deep voice coming from behind her, presumably coming from the man that was holding her hair.

"We can explain, Master, un." Deidara said. He was back in clay boy form.

There was a long pause, and Sakura watched as the miniature puppet and clay boy shook. And if she remembered correctly… wasn't the knight's armor in the _other_ corner last time she checked? "I don't want your explanations."

Sasori decided to intervene, "We know that you specifically said you didn't want any more outsiders -,"

"And you specifically disobeyed me." He squeezed tighter, causing Sakura to flinch. "I will deal with you three later."

He started to drag her away, heading in the same direction that he'd taken the old man earlier. Sakura was putting up quite the fight, but their Master was stronger. He turned the corner, before throwing a wooden door open and descending the stairs. Sakura tried to keep up, but she ended up tumbling most of the way down. She hadn't had anything to eat in close to eight hours now, and after everything it had taken to get here, she was exhausted.

When they reached the dungeon, he tossed her to the ground, momentarily abandoning her. When he returned, she managed to get a good look at her attacker. He was tall, with long black hair and dark onyx eyes. His pale skin seemed to glisten in the flickering candlelight, giving him an almost ethereal look.

He had a kunai in his hand, and he was fast approaching.

Grabbing hold of her hair, he pressed the kunai to her throat. "What were you doing, sniffing around my castle?" He hissed lowly. "Come to see the beast, have you?"

"I was just looking for shelter!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'm looking for my father! I never meant to find you!"

As if in answer, a weak voice came from the cell a few feet away. "S-Sakura? Is that… Is that you?"

Her father looked awful. His clothes were rags, and they were sopping wet. He was breathing hard and coughing, and she wondered just how many storms he'd weathered before ending up here. Her captor let her go and she raced over to the cell, holding desperately to the bars.

How the hell had he ended up in a place like this? The coordinates would have led her another two and a half hours away… If she hadn't stopped here, she might have missed him completely.

If she had kept moving, her father would undoubtedly be dead.

"Father," she reached through the bars, "you're so cold."

He held onto her hand, desperation in his eyes. His skin was cold and clammy to the touch. But even in his fever-induced haze, he was still concerned about her. He pushed her dripping wet hair away from her face, placing a hand on her freezing cold skin. Her time in front of the fire had done little to warm her…

"You monster!" Sakura whirled on her captor, staring into his emotionless onyx eyes. "Can't you see that he's sick? What kind of monster keeps a dying old man in a _cage_?"

The Master frowned. "He is a trespasser. He got what he deserved."

"You think he deserves to die?" Anger rose within her. Who the hell did this man think that he was?

"I think that he deserves to be punished." He corrected.

Her father was trying to tell her something, but he was having trouble finding his voice. Every time he tried to speak, he'd break down into an awful coughing fit. It made Sakura cringe. She stroked his graying beard, desperately wishing that there was something more that she could do for him. She wished that she'd payed more attention to Tsunade-sama when she'd attempted to teach her medical ninjutsu…

"Take me instead." She said suddenly, much to everyone's surprise. Her father began to shake his head frantically. "Think about it. You'd benefit more from an able-bodied prisoner."

"S-Sakura…" he choked. Clearly, he wasn't thrilled with her decision.

"It's okay, Father. I know what I'm doing." Sakura looked a little more confident this time as she said, "Take me."

The Master was silent. And then, he shoved her aside as he reached into his cloak and pulled out the key, unlocking the cell. He grabbed the old man by his shirt collar and shoved him in the direction of the door. The old man stumbled, wheezed, and almost fell down.

"Go now, old man. Before I change my mind." He said lowly. The old man moved as quickly as his body would allow, looking back every once in awhile to stare forlornly at his daughter.

And Sakura tried to commit her father's face to memory, sure that this would be the last time she'd ever see it.


	3. This is Home Now

**Bears of the West:** Thanks!

 **Lady Yori:** Not all of them are going to be Akatsuki, but they'll definitely be major players. I really like the ideas for the other members! And yeah, Naruto wasn't exactly a 100% fit for the job, but I think it works.

 **Guest:** Thank you very much!

 **sasusakulovesarada:** He's not exactly a "monster" – not traditionally, at least. The curse makes him fit the "beast" persona more internally than externally.

 **0/0/0/0**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 03: This is Home Now**

The Master grabbed her by the hair and began to drag her to the cell, before carelessly tossing her inside. She let out a startled shout, before her body began to shake with sobs.

Something within him twisted uncomfortably as he watched her cry. This girl, who had been so brave in front of her father, was just letting the stress of everything she'd been through in the last twenty-four hours wash out of her in pained, broken sobs.

Her father was free and safe – if not a little sick. She, however, had just promised herself as a prisoner for life in his stead. He'd be worried if she _wasn't_ crying.

Just as he was about to close and lock the door to her cell, that pesky little clay bird flew over and landed on his shoulder. He resisted the urge to squash it. "Master… if the girl is to be our guest -,"

"She is our _prisoner."_ He corrected quickly, his voice practically dripping with malice. He'd not have the servants mistaking the two.

Deidara simply ignored him. "Still, it stands to reason that she'll be with us quite a while." He said. "Don't you think the girl would prefer more… comfortable quarters?"

He thought the idea over for a minute. If he kept her down here in the dungeons, he wouldn't have to witness these little pathetic displays of emotion that made his stomach turn in what wasn't quite disgust. But then again, she was also the only girl to stumble upon his home for almost five years… could he really risk letting her rot in the dungeon, hoping that another would come along?

In the end, he made up his mind. "I'll… show you to your room."

He went to reach for her hair, but the clay bird nipped him on the hand. "No, no, no… gentleman do not escort ladies to their rooms by _grabbing their hair."_ He sounded completely exasperated.

He didn't reach for her again. Sakura stumbled to her feet, watching as he turned his back on her and began to ascend the stairs. It took everything she had not to attack him while his back was turned. But she realized her odds of success were slim to none, even if she _did_ manage to catch him off guard. No – it was better to play along for now.

Once they reached the ground floor, they cut through the foyer and took the grand staircase to the second floor. Sakura's hand slid along the ornate railing, eyeing the familiar 'U' emblem. The railing was gold, while the staircase was marble. A rich red carpet ran down the middle of the staircase, and Sakura imagined that it was every bit as soft as it looked. Whoever this man was, he had money. And a lot of it.

They went about halfway down the hall, before he pushed open a rather bland-looking, crème colored door. Hesitantly, Sakura stepped inside.

It was lavishly decorated with the most expensive of comforts imaginable… perhaps that was why Sakura hated it almost immediately. A large, circular bed commanded the center of the room. Thick, fluffy blue velvet pillows lined the top of the bed, bearing a red and white fan at the center. The duvet was red satin, with that same ornate golden 'U' in the center.

Directly in front of her was a large window. The curtains were drawn aside, revealing the disturbing gardens out front… Sakura looked beyond to the forest, which was so dense it looked black and impenetrable. To her left was a beautiful oak wardrobe, its drawers overflowing with beautiful clothes. And lastly, behind an oak room divider (also bearing the golden 'U' emblem), was a porcelain, claw-foot bathtub.

The Master attempted what she assumed was a smile, but it chilled her to the bone. "You will join me for dinner." And when the door slammed shut, she realized it was an offer she best not refuse.

 **0/0/0/0**

"There's no _way_ I'm joining that monster for dinner!" Sakura huffed.

She looked around at her room. While much more beautiful than the dungeon, she realized that she'd simply traded one prison for another. She was no freer here than she was locked away in that cage.

"It's not like you have much of a choice, you know." Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin, not having realized that someone else had joined her in her room.

"Who's there?" She asked.

There was a high-pitched laugh. "Stupid girl." And then Sakura realized that the voice was coming from the wardrobe. She should've known. "Nobody turns down an offer from Sasuke-kun. Do you know how many girls would _die_ for the chance to be wined and dined by the crown prince himself?"

Sakura blinked. Crown prince? Sasuke? That couldn't be true, though. Her mother had always told her stories about the Uchihas, but they were just that – stories. Just like all of the tales in her book. There had to be some other plausible explanation for all of this.

There was a knock on the door. Against her better judgement, Sakura opened the door. "Hello, can I help you -,"

"Just bringing hot water for your bath." The girl pushed past Sakura, carrying two steaming buckets of water. Sakura blinked – she was the first human Sakura had seen in the palace since the Master – no, Sasuke – himself.

"My bath?" Sakura asked, confused.

The girl rolled her blue eyes. "If you are to join the Master for dinner, you need to be clean first."

Sakura frowned. "He can't just _demand_ that I join him for dinner!" Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "I'm not just some puppet that he can manipulate. I'm not going, and that's final."

"I see…" her blue eyes closed and she sighed. "The Master won't be pleased."

Sakura's frown became impossibly deeper. "The Master can go screw himself."

"Such language!" The wardrobe chuckled. It was an ugly, intrusive sound.

The girl drew her a bath, regardless. It wouldn't do Sakura any good to get herself sick, she reasoned. Sakura couldn't deny the logic. She needed to be on her toes at all times if she hoped to survive this madhouse, especially not knowing where her weapons were. She didn't know who was with her and against her… but she had a feeling she could trust this girl. The wardrobe… she wasn't too sure.

The wardrobe began to open her drawers and clothes floated through the air. She was humming a tune that Sakura didn't recognize as she went about finding something "suitable" for the girl to wear. When an unimpressionable gray dress flew her way, landing haphazardly on the bed, Sakura knew not to expect much. At the look of distaste on Sakura's face, the wardrobe began to laugh again.

"Now, now, Karin – play nice." The girl warned lowly. Something in her tone implied that this was a warning, not a request.

The wardrobe, apparently named Karin, didn't seem to take that too well. "Shut it, Konan. Not all of us got to remain beautiful." She hissed darkly.

"We've all made our sacrifices." Konan gave Karin a cursory glance. She didn't seem to be too bothered by her callousness. "Don't think that you're so special."

"I was his favorite!" Karin demanded sharply. Clearly, she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Toy." Konan corrected lazily. "You were his favorite _toy_. And now you're broken, just like the rest of us."

The girl, Konan, motioned for Sakura to undress. As she did, she filled the bath with lightly-scented perfumed oils. Once again, undoubtedly expensive. When she was done with the bath, Sakura slipped into the water. It was on the verge of being painfully hot… but then, Sakura hadn't realized how cold she'd been.

There was a sound, like the fluttering of a bird's wings, and suddenly Konan was gone. In her place, an elegant origami bird sat perched on the dresser. Sakura stared, confused. Her apparent confusion only seemed to amuse Karin. Her ugly, mocking laughter returned. Sakura wondered what had happened here, what had caused this curse that had changed these people into… what exactly were they now? She didn't even know.

"Konan was the _maid_." Karin said, as if this was a laughable profession. "She can manipulate the paper her body is made of to return to her real form, but only for short periods of time." She laughed, "She can't talk in that form."

Sakura looked at the bird, feeling sorry for the girl. The wardrobe, however, was seriously beginning to get on her nerves. "What about you, then? What were you?"

"I was a lady-in-waiting to Lady Uchiha herself…" Karin said dreamily. "Until Itachi killed her."

 **0/0/0/0**

Sometimes, being a mirror was an entirely unpleasant experience.

Pein watched as Sasuke submerged his hands in the wash basin, scrubbing away invisible blood. He scrubbed until his hands chaffed and bled, and then he scrubbed more. He couldn't stand the sight of blood.

He hadn't actually killed Itachi, not that that mattered much in the grand scheme of things. Itachi had been sickly since birth, and everything had caught up with him in their final battle. He'd overextended himself, collapsing in Sasuke's arms after poking him on the forehead. Blood smeared across his forehead, coated his hands. He'd stumbled back from the royal gardens, where the battle took place, carrying Itachi's dead body in his arms.

Since then, the royal gardens had fallen into disrepair, despite Zetsu's best efforts. And the palace, the servants, and even the crown prince himself, had fallen victim to a curse born of his despair over killing his elder brother.

The only way to end the curse was for the prince to find someone to teach him the one thing he simply couldn't bring himself to do – love. He couldn't love himself, couldn't forgive himself for what he'd done…

And so he was here, scrubbing nonexistent blood off of his hands. It was a habit he'd developed to deal with stress.

"Master, if I may…" Pein started softly, not wanting to startle Sasuke. "It's almost seven. It's not polite to keep the young lady waiting for dinner… and Kakuzu might just burn the palace down if you let dinner go cold again."

"She hates me." Sasuke hissed, knocking over the porcelain basin in anger. It shattered when it hit the floor.

Pein sighed. "I highly doubt that, Master. She doesn't know you." Sasuke stared at the mirror, eyes narrowed at his reflection. He tore his gaze away. "Give her time, and she will see you the way that we do."

"As a monster?" He laughed bitterly.

"We don't think that you're a monster." Pein corrected.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was practically shaking. "Then what do you think that I am?"

"I am your mirror." Pein said, matter-of-fact. "I see what you cannot. Your reflection is warped by what you expect to see. I, on the other hand, can see you clearly." He explained. "And you are not a monster."

While these were words that he desperately needed to hear, they were not words that he was necessarily ready to hear. Sasuke blinked, seemingly taking everything in. And then he shook his head, turning his back on the mirror. He took off his cloak, hanging it on a nearby hook. He was impeccably dressed, but he pulled on his clothes, eyeing them with disdain. Was he overdressed for this dinner?

"If I'm not a monster…" he drifted off, running a hand through his silky black hair. "What am I?"

 **0/0/0/0**

Sasuke had been sitting at the grand dining table for almost half an hour. The elaborate spread that Kakuzu had prepared had grown cold, just as Pein had feared, but the head of the kitchen hadn't heard about it yet – undoubtedly, he would, soon. Sasuke drummed his fingers on the table in agitation. Where the hell was she?

"Perhaps she's sleeping?" Deidara offered weakly.

Sasori rolled his eyes. "It's much more probable that he terrified her earlier, and she's rebelling by refusing to eat with him." Sasuke growled, causing Sasori to flinch. "Of course, that's only a hunch…"

"Pein!" Pein manifested in the mirror above the fireplace, summoned by his Master's call.

"What can I do for you, Master?" He asked.

Sasuke rose from his seat at the table, coming to stand before the mirror. "Show me the girl."

Deidara mumbled something about his chances of winning her over improving if he bothered to learn her name. Sasuke ignored him in favor of watching the mirror's surface ripple, before showing Sakura's bedroom. The girl was seated on her windowsill, staring forlornly at the forest in the distance. There was an origami bird on her shoulder.

She was dressed in a light pink nightgown. Certainly not something one would wear to dinner.

"Damn it!" Sasuke reached for the candlestick on the mantle, about to smash the mirror with it. A quick nip from Deidara stopped him. Smash the mirror, kill Pein.

Sasuke stormed off, headed for the grand staircase. Deidara and Sasori followed after him as quickly as they could, but he was bigger and could cover more ground in shorter time. By the time they arrived, Sasuke was already pounding on her door, screaming at the top of his lungs. And Sakura was giving back just as good as she got.

"I'd never eat with a beast like you! Go rot in hell!" It was clear that she was crying, but her little tantrum was doing nothing for Sasuke's nerves.

"You'll eat with me, or you won't eat at all!" Sasuke yelled back. Sasori shook his head – threatening to starve her was _sure_ to win her over.

Sakura sniffled, before responding, "I'd rather starve than look at your sorry face again!"

Sasuke flinched. Both Sasori and Deidara watched him carefully, unsure as to what he planned to do. "Then starve!"

Sasuke was gone without another word, and Sakura was leaning against the door, crying again. Sasori shook his head – this girl was going to be the death of all of them, one way or another.


	4. Be Our Guest

**Guest:** Thanks!

 **Guest:** Thank you! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

 **Lady Yori:** Lol – Yes, while she is annoying, I think she does serve as a nice contrast to Sakura's personality. Plus, I thought her character would be a good fit for the wardrobe, as I always saw her as a little pushy, to be honest. And I can totally see Suigetsu as the fountain, lol :) More on the letter soon.

 **Bears of the west:** Totally not a 'toy' in that way, nope. More to be explained soon.

 **0/0/0/0**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 04: Be Our Guest**

Konan was clearing the dining table when Sasori and Deidara returned. "Damn it, un!" Deidara hissed, "Look at all that wasted food – Kakuzu is gonna shit a fucking brick."

"The Master shouldn't starve himself." Konan said softly. "He needs his strength, otherwise, Kakuzu will roast him alive." She sighed, "And the rest of us with him."

Sasori shook his head, "Dump the food out back. Hopefully then, the old geezer won't see the mess."

Konan arched an elegant blue eyebrow. "Why? So it can rot out there like the rest of the palace grounds?"

"Would you prefer to become human barbeque?" Sasori snapped back.

Someone cleared their throat from the entrance to the dining hall, causing the servants to jump. Sakura stood in the archway, still dressed in her light pink nightgown. She looked between them sheepishly, not sure if she'd made the right decision coming downstairs.

"Is there something that we can help you with?" Konan asked, not unkindly.

"Well…" Sakura took a hesitant step forward, looking around at the mess on the table. "I am a little hungry…"

"Hungry? Hungry!" It was like this was the greatest news Deidara had ever heard. "Konan – set her a place at the table, un!" Konan quickly fixed the table for her, while Deidara addressed Sakura. "You just saved our asses."

Sakura's brows knitted together. "I don't understand -,"

A bellowing shout came from the kitchen, and after an extraordinarily loud bang, the door connecting the dining hall and the kitchens blew off the hinges and hit the wall, shattering on impact. The room seemed to grow impossibly hotter, with thick pillows of smoke filling the hall. None of the servants batted an eyelash at the little outburst, but Sakura's heart was pounding so hard in her chest she could practically hear it. What the hell _was_ that?

There was another crash, and this time, without the barrier of the door, Sakura had a front-row seat to the largest fireball she'd ever seen erupting from the ancient-looking stove, headed straight for the dining hall. Again, nobody seemed to be terribly concerned. They just continued about their business.

Konan leaned over her shoulder and whispered, "That's just Kakuzu. Don't mind him." Balancing several dishes in hand, she set them on a nearby tray, which then drove off into the kitchen by itself. "He's a bit… hot-headed."

"What's the matter with him? He's acting totally weird." Sakura watched as he attempted to burn down the kitchen.

"The Master wasted his dinner. That's his problem." Sasori said disdainfully.

Konan sighed, "Kakuzu was the palace trader, and a real cheapskate. He doesn't like when the Master wastes food… it means wasted money."

Now that the table was clear, the tray returned, filled with an elaborate spread of delectable food. Konan set it before Sakura, before that familiar rush of wind accompanied her transformation back into the origami bird. She landed on the fireplace, just below the mirror.

Sakura thanked the servants for her meal, before digging in. As soon as she began to eat, the chaos in the kitchen died down. Apparently, the knowledge that _someone_ was eating the meal he'd prepared was enough to temporarily placate Kakuzu.

When she finished, she pushed the plate away, rubbing her belly soothingly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten so well.

"It's probably best that you return to your room now." Sasori said. "It wouldn't be good for the Master to find you down here. For any of us."

"I wouldn't want to get any of you in trouble. You've all been so helpful." Sakura smiled for the first time since arriving at the palace.

Deidara switched to clay boy form, and sat on the edge of the table by her plate. "It's been a long time since we've been used for much of anything at all. Life is so _boring_ around here, un."

Pein materialized in the mirror. After looking down at the origami flower beneath him, he sighed, "Sasori, Deidara, the Master requires your presence immediately."

Deidara offered her a sympathetic glance. "We have to go. But we'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright." Sakura nodded. "Thank you all for everything."

Sakura left for her room, while Sasori and Deidara made their way to the West Wing. She slipped into her room as quietly as possible, still slightly worried that Sasuke might be lingering around some corner, waiting for her. He was a monster. He was a monster, and he scared her. But the servants… they seemed to like her well enough. She felt like she could trust them… well, maybe not the flaming oven.

Maybe they could help her escape.

 **0/0/0/0**

Sasuke stood in front of the second-floor stained glass window. It was a depiction of the marriage of Lord and Lady Uchiha. Out of every stained glass window in the palace, this one was his favorite.

But today, he wasn't here to admire the window. He unlocked the window, before pushing open the two panels. Looking down, he had a perfect view of the decaying palace gardens. Sasori and Deidara were giving Sakura a tour of the grounds, and for some reason, she'd wanted to start with the gardens.

She was dressed in a pretty pink gown, which seemed to match the color of her hair. It was cinched at the waist, with a green bow around her middle that matched the color of her eyes. A matching green ribbon was being used to tie her hair back.

Much as he hated to admit it, she was really quite beautiful.

Not for the first time, he regretted not keeping her locked away in the dungeon.

She was a bright streak of color in a sea of darkness, and Sasuke couldn't help but wonder how the darkness of the palace hadn't swallowed her whole already. The curse affected everyone, even those who were not in the palace at the time of Itachi's demise. Even twenty-four hours in the palace, she should've already been feeling the effects.

But she was still smiling. And that was the first thing that the curse took away – your smile. It changed you into a shell of your former self, until only the most basic part of you remained.

Deidara, for instance, was the palace architect. He'd been hired by Lady Uchiha to put an addition on the palace when she discovered that she was pregnant with Sasuke. His favorite medium to work with had been clay. He'd sculpted many models for the new addition, hoping to earn the approval of Lady Uchiha, but none had prevailed. Eventually, he'd constructed the West Wing instead.

Now, he'd been transformed into his favorite medium – he'd become a clay man.

Or Sasori, the princes' toymaker. The toys that he made them served a dual purpose – recreation, and weapons' training. Each of the puppets were fully equipped with an array of deadly weapons, some of which were dipped in poison. Additions were made to the toys as the boys grew and developed, until they were practically full-blown weapons.

Now, Sasori was a puppet, just like the ones he'd make for the boys.

They were leading Sakura back inside. Sasuke quickly shut the window, taking a back staircase to avoid being seen. She was beginning to settle in, to find her place here. If a tour would make her happy, then he wouldn't ruin it.

She might've been his last chance to break the curse. He wasn't going to risk it for anything.

 **0/0/0/0**

"The gardens are so sad." Sakura said. She looked at the wilted rose she'd picked, the petals looking like they'd been a victim of one of Kakuzu's little temper tantrums.

"I don't understand why you wanted to see them, if you think that they're so depressing." Sasori said lowly.

"They had to be beautiful once, right?" Sakura tossed the dead rose into the trash can. "Just like everything in here. It could be unbelievably beautiful…"

Sakura could see it now. If she pulled back the curtains and opened the windows, the sheer difference in the light quality alone would make the palace seem that much _warmer_. And just think how much more beautiful it would be if she waxed the floors, dusted, polished the brass, mopped…

Right now, sheets of dust covered nearly every surface. That tended to happen when the only maid in the entire palace turned into an origami bird every thirty minutes or so. But maybe Sakura could do something to help her. After all, Konan had already done so much for her.

"What else would you like to see, un?" Deidara asked, flying right beside her. Sasori walked along a few paces behind.

"I don't know." Sakura paused, thinking. "What else is there?"

Sasori rolled his soft brown eyes. "Seriously? It would take an eternity to list off all the rooms in this place. It'd probably be easier to tell you what we _don't_ have."

"Do you like books, un?" Deidara asked. "We have an amazing library. Three stories. It's the biggest room in the palace, save for the ballroom."

Sakura's green eyes widened. "I _love_ books!" Her excitement faltered slightly when she thought of the book of fairytales that Kakashi had given her, which was now sitting on her coffee table at home, forgotten…

"The library has every book imaginable." Deidara said, turning down a slim corridor. The only door was at the end of the hall – Sakura assumed it was the door to the library. "The Master has been collecting them for quite awhile."

Sakura could just see it now. She could hardly imagine the size of it. The bookstore she frequented back in Konoha was perhaps the size of the cell her father had been locked in. Small enough for her to have read every book there multiple times. A three story library? That was enough reading material to last a lifetime!

But before they reached the door, Sakura saw something out of the corner of her eye. Pausing, she asked, "What's that, over there?"

There was a staircase that she'd never seen before. It was connected to an expansive wing of the palace, that much was obvious, but Sakura wondered why it wasn't connected to the grand staircase. Both Deidara and Sasori stopped, following her line of sight and frowning when they realized where it led.

"That's the West Wing, the Master's private quarters." Sasori said sternly, "Nobody is allowed there, not even the servants. It's best to forget that you even saw it."

Sakura frowned. "Why so secretive? Is he keeping some deep, dark secret up there or something?"

"The Master just appreciates his privacy, un." Deidara said nonchalantly.

Sasori started to move again. "Now, come along, girl, so that we can continue this foolish little tour."

Deidara hurried after the puppet. Sakura watched them go, waiting until they were out of earshot before turning and heading toward the staircase that led to the West Wing. She took the stairs two at a time, careful to be as quiet as possible. It wouldn't due to get herself caught and arouse Sasuke's anger.

All along the walls were images of the royal family. Sakura's gut twisted as her childhood ideals regarding the myth that was the Uchiha family came crashing down around her. From the evidence on the walls, they were very, very real. Most of the portraits seemed to be of the late crown prince, Uchiha Itachi. He was handsome enough, but incredibly pale and frail looking. If anything about the myth was actually true, then Itachi was more brains than brawn.

So, this was the brother that Sasuke had killed. He didn't seem like the type to massacre his entire family.

There had to be more to the story.

At the top of the stairs, she realized that she was in a hallway, much like the one where her own room was. There were several rooms, but most of the doors were locked. The door at the end of the hall was ajar, however. There was a voice coming from the room, which she immediately recognized as Sasuke's. This must've been his bedroom, then.

"If I may, Master," the second voice was undoubtedly male, but Sakura didn't recognize it. "Perhaps if we work on your manners, you'd have a better chance of winning the girl over -,"

Sasuke didn't seem to take too kindly to that, "I have _impeccable_ manners, thank you! I am the _crown prince_!"

"And you still haven't asked the girl her name." The second man pointed out. "You've never properly introduced yourself. That's not the basis for a good relationship."

"What relationship? The only ones she cares to be around are Sasori and Deidara!" Sasuke hissed.

"They're taking the time to get to know her." He continued. "Maybe you should follow their example."

Just then, Sakura accidentally bumped into one of the statues affixed to the balcony, kicking up a massive amount of dust into the air. Unable to help herself, she sneezed. Loudly.

"Who's out there?" Sasuke snapped. His tone was positively lethal.

Panicked, Sakura quickly performed the necessary hand signs for a teleportation jutsu. She disappeared seconds before Sasuke arrived in the hallway, leaving nothing but a puff of smoke in her wake. She landed in the East Wing, just outside of her bedroom, arriving to the sound of Deidara and Sasori tearing apart the palace looking for her.

 **0/0/0/0**

Sasuke raised his hand to knock on her door. He hesitated a moment, a whole series of 'what ifs' running through his head. In the end, he went through with it.

"Just a minute!" Sakura called. After a few seconds, she opened the door, a bright smile on her face. When she saw who was on the other side of the door, however, her smile faltered. "Oh."

"I came to apologize. My actions last night were inexcusable." Sasuke said, but his tone was flat. Sakura wasn't convinced.

"Yes, well, if that's all, I'd really like to go to bed." Sakura said.

Sasuke frowned. Why the hell was she making this so difficult? Sucking in a deep breath, he continued, "I would like to take the chance to properly introduce myself. I am Uchiha Sasuke, crown prince of Konoha."

Sakura didn't seem too terribly impressed. Finally, her prince had come, but he wasn't exactly sweeping her off her feet. He was practically shaking from the effort of being kind to her. It meant something that he was at least making the effort… but it was too little, too late.

Sasuke reached out and took her hand, kissing it. Sakura was admittedly caught off guard, but did her best not to show it. "And can I ask your name?"

Sakura thought it over. This man was a monster, who had a possible connection to her father's kidnapping. But that seemed less and less likely, considering his feelings regarding outsiders. Regardless, he'd still locked her sickly father away in a cell and left him to die, alone and afraid. He'd wanted to do the same to her.

And now, he was kissing her hand and acting the part of a perfect gentleman.

When he released her hand, she struggled not to wipe it off on her dress out of pure revulsion. Which one was the _true_ crown prince?

She was pretty sure that she wouldn't like the answer.

"Haruno Sakura." She mumbled under her breath, not meeting his eyes.

"A beautiful name." He smiled, but it seemed painfully forced. "We used to have cherry blossom trees on the grounds. My brother and I would…" the smile fell, "would play in the cherry blossoms all the time. When he wasn't studying, of course."

Sakura tried to imagine a young Sasuke playing alongside the brother he would eventually grow up to kill. There was a blank period of time, between the massacre of the Uchiha clan and the death of Uchiha Itachi. Somehow, she knew that the key to finding her way out of here (and possibly breaking the curse) rested within that time between Point A and Point B. The only problem? Nobody talked about it.

"If that's all, your highness, I really should be getting to bed." Sakura tried not to sound dismissive. He was trying, after all. If she were to be completely honest with herself, though, he wasn't trying hard enough.

Sasuke nodded, seemingly buying her excuse. "Yes. It is important for you to get your rest."

He bowed, before taking his leave. Sakura watched as he vanished down the hall, before shutting her door and falling against it, sliding down to the floor. Not for the first time, she wished she had her weapons.

For some reason, her mind kept wandering back to the way Sasuke's face had darkened when he mentioned his brother. She really wanted – no, needed – to learn more about their relationship.

And she had a feeling that the answers she was seeking rested in the West Wing.


	5. The West Wing

**Bears of the west:** Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

 **Lady Yori:** Ironically, before I'd even read the reviews for the last chapter, I'd started writing an eerily similar scene, lol. And yes, the letter will be explained in an upcoming chapter. Hope you enjoy the latest installment!

 **0/0/0/0**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 05: The West Wing**

The next morning, Sakura put her plan into action.

"You really plan on wearing _that_ today?" Karin choked back a laugh, looking at the dress that Sakura had selected. "Don't you think that the one _I_ picked out would be more… I don't know, fitting?"

Sakura frowned. "That dress is hideous." It looked more like a brown paper bag than a dress.

Now, Karin laughed wholeheartedly. "That's the point, stupid."

Sakura shook her head. She really didn't have time to deal with Karin right now. She had an incredibly strict schedule to adhere to – one wrong move could land her back in the dungeon, or worse. And while she was fairly sure that nothing would make Karin happier than seeing her in a five-by-five cell, Sakura had no intention of returning to the dungeon.

She looked at the dress she'd selected. It was rather plain, and dark blue in color. The three-quarter length sleeves bore the Uchiha fan on either shoulder. Slipping into the dress, she also opted to wear her sandals, instead of one of the many elegant pairs of flats that rested in the bottom of the wardrobe.

Standing in front of the mirror, she tied her hair back with a silky blue ribbon that matched the color of her dress. She inspected her appearance with a critical eye.

"If you're going for dowdy, second-class servant, you nailed it." Karin quipped. Sakura's hands gripped the edge of the vanity, squeezing just a bit too hard. The wood splintered.

Cocking her head to the side, Sakura put on her best smile. "I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"I'm only trying to help you." Karin said nastily. There was something oddly transparent about her lie, like she wasn't even trying to make herself sound sincere.

It definitely rubbed Sakura the wrong way.

"Help me? _Right._ " Sakura rolled her eyes, simply choosing to ignore her for now.

Karin had been right, though (not that she _ever_ planned on repeating that sentence, _especially_ not out loud). The dress wasn't flattering, but then, it was better than the rags that Karin had chosen for her. But it was perfect for her plan.

Looking down at her vanity, she smiled at the assortment of bulbs she'd managed to collect during the night. It hadn't been easy, sneaking around the castle undetected, but the fruits of her labor would pay off majorly. If she could convince Sasori and Deidara to take her to the royal gardens, under the guise of helping Zetsu tame the destroyed flowerbeds, she'd have a perfect view of the stained glass window Sasuke had watched her from the day before…

She didn't doubt that he'd have eyes on her at all times. No matter how 'free' she might think she was, she was still his prisoner. But a simple cloning jutsu might distract him long enough for her to obtain all the information she needed, and then get the hell out of dodge.

She just hoped that this didn't damage her relationship with Sasori and Deidara. They'd been nothing but kind to her, and she didn't want them to think that she intended to take advantage of that in any way.

She made a few quick hand signs, and a clone appeared in front of her. The clone scooped the bulbs into her apron, before heading out to find the puppet and his clay bird companion. Sakura watched her clone leave, making sure she was a considerable distance away before racing out the door herself.

The one thing she failed to account for? A jealous, vindictive wardrobe, with a big mouth.

 **0/0/0/0**

The coast was clear. The West Wing was completely abandoned.

Sakura made a beeline for the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and she peered around the corner to make sure that the coast was clear. With no-one in sight, she pushed forward, quickly shutting the door behind her.

Whatever she'd expected, it honestly wasn't this. The room was in shambles, destroyed to the point where it was any wonder that Sasuke was able to live in there at all. The bed had been broken into two pieces, with sharp wooden sticks poking up through the mattress. A dark red curtain with the Uchiha emblem on it surrounded the bed, but it, too, was in tatters.

Sakura walked past a broken mirror, glass shards falling to the ground as she passed. A minute later, she came across his desk. There had to be about an inch of dust on the surface, and it distorted most of the items on the desk. She reached down and picked up something that looked like a book, blowing dust off the cover. It actually turned out to be a folder labeled 'Itachi'.

"What's this?" She mumbled beneath her breath, opening it and pulling out the contents. Letters.

They were letters from Itachi to Sasuke, dated after what she supposed was the massacre. Sakura took one out and began to read.

 _Brother,_

 _Today is your tenth birthday. How are you, baby brother?_

 _I don't pretend to flatter myself with the idea that you actually read these little letters. For all I know, you probably burn them in your fireplace._

 _It must be rather painful, being in that palace all alone. So many old memories, so many unwelcome ghosts. Does it ever haunt you, the massacre? I bet that you see it every time you close your eyes._

 _You were too weak to stop me then, baby brother; too weak to save them. I can just see you now – crumpling this letter up in your hands, tearing it to pieces – assuming you've made it this far. But ruining the paper still doesn't change the fact that you're weak and a disgrace to our clan._

 _Mother and Father would be ashamed._

 _Happy birthday, baby brother._

 _Itachi_

Staring down at the letter, it was quite clear that all of Itachi's predictions were correct. Sasuke had crumpled and torn the note, and if the charred edges were any indication, he'd even burned it too. What kind of brother wrote such a vicious note to their sibling on their _birthday_? She was beginning to understand how a beast was bred.

Setting the note aside, she picked up another. This one seemed relatively recent, and there were small specks of brown mixed in with the hurried chicken-scratch that was Itachi's writing. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that the specks were blood.

Comparing the two notes side-by-side, it was hard to believe that they were written by the same person. But they both started with that familiar introduction of 'Brother'. Sakura read on.

 _Brother,_

 _By the time you read this, I will probably be dead. Whether this is by your hand, or the illness, I'm not exactly sure. I know that my time in this world is short, either way._

 _There is so much that I want to tell you, Sasuke. You would not believe the world beyond the palace walls – it is a truly marvelous place. I think that you'd like it very much._

 _I still remember playing in the cherry blossoms with you when we were children. It is my greatest regret that I didn't have the chance to spend more time with you before I sealed my fate. Please understand that I never wanted to kill them, that I was merely following orders._

 _My obedience saved your life, Sasuke. And your loyalty to the clan shall end mine._

 _Please know that, however this plays out, I will always be your brother – and I forgive you._

 _Itachi_

Sakura's first instinct was to check when the letter was dated. Her stomach clenched. If the myths held any accuracy whatsoever, then the letter was dated about twenty-four hours before Itachi's death. If her hunch was correct, Sasuke had opened the letter shortly after and the grief over killing his brother had caused the curse.

She folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket. It could come in handy later on.

 **0/0/0/0**

Sasuke had it on good authority that the girl – Sakura, he reminded himself sternly; she had a _name_ , and it was _Sakura_ – had taken it upon herself to help Zetsu renovate the gardens. Her efforts would be in vain, of course. Anything planted on the palace grounds died almost immediately.

He came to his favorite window and unlocked it, opening them up and letting in the harsh morning light. It was a little chilly outside, as the sun had yet to break through the dense forest cover and warm the still-wet earth below. Sasuke took a deep breath, loving the way the brisk air felt as it settled in his lungs.

It had been much too long since he'd been outside. Maybe, after _Sakura_ had finished her futile task in the gardens, he'd take a quick jaunt around the grounds. Clear his mind.

Taking a seat on the windowsill, he watched her work. She'd taken hold of a pair of gardening shears, which he quickly recognized to be Zetsu, and was using them to trim the stems of the rotting plants. She'd made quite a pile of them behind her, and Deidara was taking a sort of fiendish delight in blowing them up. The soil in the flowerbed in front of her had been shuffled, and it now appeared to be a healthy blackish brown instead of dusty red.

He was so distracted, watching her trade Zetsu for the bulbs she'd stashed in her apron, that he didn't notice a particularly loud 'bang' that accompanied a new arrival on the scene. Deidara, who'd morphed back into a clay boy, was surveying the new guest with wide eyes.

"What the hell, un?" He waved his hands wildly at the door – or, as Sasuke looked down at the wooden fragments splayed all over the yard, what was _left_ of the door. "Why'd you go breaking down the fucking door, un?"

"I don't know, brat. Maybe because _I don't have any hands_!" Sasuke knew that voice. It was Karin. But what was she doing in the gardens? And, more importantly, how the _hell_ had she gotten down the stairs?

"What do you want, Karin?" Sasori asked in a bored voice.

Karin didn't answer. She merely ambled over to Sakura, destroying the beautiful progress she'd made. Sakura barely had time to look up from her work when she was met with a door to the face. There was a tense moment of silence, everyone expecting Sakura to fall to the ground, unconscious.

Instead, she disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was a clone.

"That's what you get for trying to dupe my precious Sasuke-kun, bitch." Karin said triumphantly, her work here complete. Sasori and Deidara merely stared at the place where Sakura had once been, dumbfounded.

Sasuke's hands balled into fists at his sides. The girl was wandering around the palace _unaccounted_ for, and that simply wouldn't do.

He made a beeline for the nearest mirror, heart hammering so hard in his chest he could practically hear it. These were his servants, he thought that he could expect them to be _loyal_. Instead, he'd just discovered that they'd let his prisoner loose. There was no telling where she could be, or what kind of sensitive information she could get her hands on. When he reached the mirror, he squeezed the metal frame so hard it bent.

"Pein," he hissed from between clenched teeth, "Show me Sakura."

Pein didn't hesitate. He showed his Master the girl, who was still working away at the files on his desk, reading through the documents she'd find there. Every so often, she'd look over her shoulder, a nervous glint in her emerald eyes. She was afraid of getting caught.

He'd give her something to be afraid of.

 **0/0/0/0**

All of a sudden, Karin felt something _wet_ hit her back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hissed, spinning around to confront Suigetsu, the fountain. "This is imported wood! You'll ruin me, you idiot!"

Suigetsu just laughed. Getting under Karin's skin was his favorite pastime, and he'd been missing out ever since she got stuck in that second floor bedroom. "You looked like you needed to cool off." He snickered.

Suigetsu was a fountain, modeled after the Greek god of love, Cupid. He was perched on one foot, the other out behind him as if he'd been frozen in the middle of running for his life. Most likely, he'd been running from Karin.

He had large, white wings on his back, which were carved from smooth, polished marble. In his hands were a bow and arrow, with the tip of the arrow shaped like a heart. He was poised to release the arrow at any moment, but since he couldn't move from the neck down, it was highly unlikely that he'd impale anyone with one of his love arrows today.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you." Karin said, turning her back on Suigetsu once more.

Once again, she was hit with a spray of water. She tried really hard not to think about where it was coming from.

 **0/0/0/0**

Sakura had just slipped something into her pocket when she realized she wasn't alone. A heavy hand came down on her shoulder, forcefully spinning her around. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sasuke growled.

Sakura swallowed hard, before steeling her resolve. "Get your hands off of me!"

Instead of listening to her, the hand cackled with electricity. She flinched as a sudden wave of heat coursed through her. His eyes flashed red, and she recognized them almost immediately as the fabled Sharingan. Blue streaks of light shot from his hand, and she was suddenly worried that he might seriously hurt her.

"Come to steal from me, have you?" Sasuke was positively seething. Sakura had half a mind to turn over everything that she'd taken, but she stood her ground. "After everything I've done for you?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "You haven't done _shit_ for me."

Sasuke didn't take too kindly to that. "You would be _dead_ if it weren't for me."

" _Anything_ would be better than being stuck here with you!" She bit back. "Even being dead!"

She regretted it the moment it left her mouth… but she wasn't sure she knew why. Maybe it was the way he seemed to collapse in on himself, the full weight of her words practically destroying him. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't really mean them. Being stuck here with him… there were many things that could be worse. And after reading those letters, he didn't need anything else on his plate.

"Get out." He said softly, releasing her with a hard shove. She stumbled away from him, shock clearly written on her face.

"W-What?" She stuttered, not sure she'd heard correctly.

" _Get out!"_ This time, he screamed so loudly the entire room practically _shook_.

Sakura didn't need to be told twice.


	6. The Wolves

**Bears of the west:** Thanks for the review!

 **Naomi Tachi:** I totally agree about the lack of inclusion of Konan – but rest assured, her part only gets bigger from here on out! The library will be featured prominently next chapter. And yes, more Karin and Suigetsu drama to come :) I admit I had more fun writing that scene than I probably should've, lol. Thanks for the reviews!

 **Lady Yori:** Lol, I love the scene you wrote there XD I had actually almost included a part where Deidara threatened to chop her up and feed her to Kakuzu to placate him for breaking the door. Ah, the ideas for future chapters… Thanks for the review!

 **Guest:** I'm glad you think so! Thanks so much for the review!

 **0/0/0/0**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 06:** **The Wolves**

Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist, before punching the wall so hard his hand went through it. Blood bubbled to the surface of his scratched knuckles, but he ignored it.

He'd fucked up, and he'd lost her. She was probably halfway off the grounds by now.

He eyed his desk out of the corner of his eye. What could be so important that she'd felt the need to sneak in here and _steal_ from him? He'd receive no answers from his files, however. Before he'd terrified her, she'd taken the time to put all of the files back exactly as she'd found them. The only way to find out what she'd taken would be to go through each individually.

This wasn't her first rodeo. So what had caused her to fuck up so badly this time around?

And then he remembered the way Karin had bounded down the stairs, wrecking the front door in the process. Karin was the one she hadn't accounted for. She'd foolishly thought that Karin was immobile because of her sheer size and lack of legs, which wasn't necessarily true. She could get around… he just wasn't too excited to see the damage she'd caused along the way…

"Master," Sasuke turned, eyeing the broken mirror disdainfully. He'd forgotten that Pein could manifest himself in broken mirrors as well. "The summer storms have started. There will be a flood."

Sasuke frowned. The summer storms were always particularly brutal – some even having the capability of lasting two weeks or longer. They killed _everything_ foolish enough to not find higher ground and wait them out.

And sometimes, even _those_ poor creatures weren't so lucky.

Sasuke sighed. Sakura was probably so upset, she didn't even realize the danger lurking ahead. "Show me Sakura."

The image was distorted because of the broken mirror, but he could clearly make out the pink haired girl. The hood of her cloak had been pulled over her head, and she was holding the front of it together to try and keep herself dry. She was moving quickly, making no attempt to quiet her hurried movements. And that was attracting some… unwanted attention. Eyes flashed in the darkness, silently stalking her as she raced from the castle.

"Sasori and Deidara stripped her of her weapons." It was a cold, detached statement. Of course they had – it was the practice of all the servants to remove a guest's weapons before they entered the castle.

It was meant to protect against assassination attempts. This… well, this was an unintended consequence.

"How far has she gotten from the palace?" Sasuke asked weakly. He was already reaching for his own cloak, which was draped over the edge of the broken bed.

"There's no way to tell for sure, Master. The forest is so dense, she could be anywhere." That was not the answer he wanted to hear.

Sasuke ignored him in favor of saying, "Have Konan prepare a fire. I don't intend to save her just for her to die from pneumonia, understood?"

"Understood, Master." With that, Pein vanished to deliver the message.

Sasuke used a teleportation jutsu to save time, ending up just outside the broken door downstairs. Thanks to the storm, the wooden floor in the foyer was beginning to turn from the relentless onslaught of water. He'd have to take care of the door before it caused wood rot.

The front gate swung freely in the wind. Sasuke squeezed his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose. And then he was off, racing into the darkness to save the girl.

 **0/0/0/0**

This was harder than it looked, and he was out of practice.

It was hard to find and keep his footing in the mud, and the rain made it impossible for him to see more than a few inches in front of his face. Even the Sharingan didn't help – he'd deactivated it almost immediately, as all it was doing was wasting chakra.

He couldn't even track her, because the rain was washing away footprints almost as soon as he lifted his foot. As soon as he thought it, however, a scream tore through the forest. From the sheer volume of it, he was close.

About fifteen minutes later, he found her. She'd been taken down to the ground by one of the wolves and was wrestling it, doing her best to keep its giant maw away from her neck. She was drenched in rainwater and caked in mud, which clung to her like a second skin. The wolf was snarling in her face, slobber dripping from its oversized teeth. He knew, just by watching, that she'd soon lose the battle.

There were about ten others, give or take, circling around her. One swatted at her face, sharp claws leaving three long, bloody streaks on her cheek. She moaned weakly, disoriented by the strike. The others began to growl at the scent of fresh blood, getting into position to strike. Sasuke knew that it was now or never.

Rushing in, he grabbed the wolf that was wrestling Sakura and threw it off of her with a surprising strength, the animal colliding with a nearby tree. It whimpered, and then fell silent.

The wolves turned their attention on him, finding him to be a more worthy victim. Sakura weakly climbed to her knees, her body trembling from the cold. She watched as the wolves charged at Sasuke, taking him down to the ground. They bit and scratched and tore at him, and dark red splotches of blood appeared on his white dress shirt. For a moment, he disappeared beneath the mass, and Sakura worried he'd been overcome –

Familiar blue sparks of electricity sent several of the wolves flying, while others looked around pathetically, terrified for their lives but not necessarily willing to sacrifice their pride by just running off.

Sasuke threw another wolf off, snarling nastily to match the wolf's growl. The wolf keened, before backing away.

The wolves were taken care of. Sakura was safe. Her face was bleeding pretty badly, but she would be okay. "Sakura…" he trailed, suddenly feeling particularly dizzy.

"Sasuke… your side, it's…" Sakura was eyeing his side fearfully, and Sasuke suddenly realized he was bleeding as well.

He sucked in a deep breath. "I'm okay… I'm okay…" he coughed up blood. Not exactly 'okay', then.

He'd been slashed on the side. He held it, attempting to put some pressure on it to slow the bleeding. When he started coughing up blood again, Sakura stepped up. Now, it was her turn to take care of Sasuke.

Taking a clean piece of her cloak, she tore it apart and used it to dress the wound the best she could. Taking his arm, she slung it over her shoulder, doing her best to stagger back to the palace. She felt sick to her stomach and his weight was practically unbearable after she'd exerted so much energy in the fight against the wolf –

But this was what she needed to do. She needed to help him, needed to make it right.

 **0/0/0/0**

Konan brought her a steaming bowl of water, before giving Sasuke a weary look. "Try not to bleed on the upholstery, Master. Blood stains are rather difficult to remove."

Sasuke frowned, "I'm glad to know that you care, Konan." He growled lowly when Sakura pressed the hot cloth to his bleeding side. He swatted at her, and she was just barely able to avoid his strike. "Watch it!"

"It wouldn't hurt so bad if you'd quit moving." Sakura said lowly, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stay still.

"If you hadn't run away like that, I wouldn't be injured." He returned smartly.

But Sakura wasn't about to just roll over and take it. She narrowed her eyes and said stiffly, "Well, if you hadn't scared me, then I wouldn't have run away!"

Sasuke flinched. He bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood, not wanting to start another argument that might cause her to run away again. Sakura helped him out of his shirt, before she dipped the cloth in the water again. She gently dabbed the bloody wound, trying her best to keep the blood off the upholstery for Konan.

Sasuke looked at her cheek. It was still bleeding, but for the most part, she seemed to be ignoring it. Instead, she was taking care of him, when he'd done nothing but terrify her. _He_ should be the one taking care of _her_.

Sakura lowered her head, her pink hair falling in front of her face like a fan. She reached for the first-aid kit, sterilizing a needle and using the thread to stitch his wound. Sasuke squeezed the armrest so tightly, she worried he'd break it. The last thing she wanted to do was add to his pain.

"Thank you." She said softly, green eyes flickering up to meet his. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and then she hurriedly looked away. "For saving my life."

Sasuke was a bit taken aback, unsure if he'd heard her correctly. Finally, he nodded once, "You're welcome."

Once she was finished stitching up his wound, she doused a clean cloth in alcohol and used it to sterilize the area. A few beads of blood turned the white stitches a soft, pinkish color. She then covered the area with gauze and carefully taped it down. There. Done.

All of a sudden, Sasuke reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her onto his lap. She let out a startled little shout, her body tensing in his arms. "What the hell -,"

He cut her off. "It's my turn to take care of you, now." He motioned to Konan, who remained off to the side, completely silent. "Konan, a fresh bowl of water."

She returned a moment later with a clean bowl of steaming hot water and a few fresh rags.

"You don't have to do this." She was still a little afraid of him, that much was clear. That simply wouldn't do.

"Yes, I do." Dipping the rag in the water, he pressed it gently to her cheek. His touch was much softer than she anticipated. "You're right. You're hurt because I scared you and made you leave."

Sakura's eyes widened. She knew how big of a step this was for Sasuke, to admit he'd made a mistake. She smiled softly. Sasuke, who'd been watching her out of the corner of his eye, raised an eyebrow.

"What're you smiling about?" There was no malice in his tone. In fact… he almost sounded like he was _teasing_ her.

"Just that…" she trailed off, choosing her words carefully. Once her wound was clean, he covered it with gauze and taped it down. "It's not fair to judge a book by its cover."

Cheesy, but it worked. Sakura hesitated on his lap for just a moment, craving the warmth of his body. She hadn't realized just how cold she was… or that she was shivering. But Sasuke certainly did. He helped her down, before grabbing the blanket off of the back of the chair and wrapping it around her tightly. She settled down in front of the fire, in a sea of fluffy red velvet pillows, each bearing the familiar Uchiha fan.

One of the trays from the dining hall came swerving in, a tea pot and tea kettle on the shining silver surface. Both the tea cup and the kettle were orange, with a strange swirling pattern on them. Sasuke took the kettle and poured Sakura a cup, before handing it to her. Sakura took a sip, smiling. Delicious.

And then the cup blinked at her, and she almost spilled it all over herself. What the hell?

Sasuke _laughed_. He actually _laughed_. "That's just Tobi. Don't mind him."

Sakura tried, but she honestly had a hard time drinking out of a cup that was staring back at her. "I'll… try…"

"Once you warm up a little bit, I'll have Konan draw you a bath." She was dirty and bloody, and desperately in need of a bath. "Try to relax, okay? You've had a hard night."

"Okay." She said, trying to ignore the eerie eye that was watching her, unblinking. "Thank you, again."

She missed the small smile on Sasuke's face as he retired to his own quarters for the night.

 **0/0/0/0**

Sakura enjoyed her bath, but what she really, really wanted was to go to bed. Unfortunately, Karin had other plans…

"Ugh, who let the trash back in here?" Her door opened and a nightgown floated over to Sakura, who simply ignored it in favor of toweling her hair dry. "I thought that I was rid of your hideous face once and for all."

"Oh, believe me, the torture is completely mutual." Sakura rolled her eyes, before tossing the towel aside.

Karin sighed her eyes, and Sakura figured she was rolling her eyes. "Sasuke-kun doesn't tolerate traitors. You betrayed him, and you'll be punished for it soon enough."

Sakura touched the gauze on her cheek, "He didn't seem like he was going to punish me…"

Her body was incredibly sore, and she just wanted to lay down. She slipped into the nightgown, not even bothering to inspect it first. Undoubtedly, it was some dowdy number that Karin had picked specifically to embarrass her, but she was simply too tired to care. She flopped down on the bed rather unceremoniously, landing face-first.

"Oh yes, Sasuke-kun will _certainly_ fall head-over-heels for you." She yapped sarcastically. Sakura did her best to tune her out. "You, the vision of lady-like decorum and grace."

Sakura pulled one of the pillows over her head, holding it tight over her ears. "Do you _ever_ shut up?" Her voice was slightly muffled by the pillow.

"He'll get tired of you." Apparently, that answer was 'no'. "And when he does, don't expect the kindness of the dungeon. When he's finished with you," there was that ugly laugh again, "the dungeon will seem like mercy."

"And what happens if you're wrong?" Sakura bit back.

"Oh, silly, I'm _never_ wrong." Her tone was dripping with lethal malice. "He'll see you for exactly what you are." And then, softer, "I'll make sure of it."

Sakura was already asleep before Karin even finished answering, too exhausted from the events of the day to really take the wardrobe seriously. A fatal mistake.

Karin didn't like this girl. She thought that she could just come in here and waltz her way into their Master's heart, and then play with him like he was some sort of toy. Shortly after Sakura had brought an injured Sasuke back to the palace, she'd overheard Konan and Pein discussing what had happened in the hallway just outside Sakura's room. There were no secrets between the lovers, and Karin could use that to her advantage.

She'd thought maybe, just maybe, this girl might be okay. She'd saved the Master, after all. If he'd been left out in the forest, he would've bled out, and his body would've been washed away by the floods. She'd thought that perhaps this girl had a shred of decency in her, and that she'd been wrong in assuming the worst about her from the beginning…

And then Sakura had come into her room and removed the items she'd snatched from the Master's bedroom from her pocket, desperately trying to salvage them by drying them near a heat lamp.

Just like everyone else, she had her own motives and motivations. And she was planning on hurting the Master.

But not if Karin took her down first.

 **0/0/0/0**

"You don't have to hide it, you know." Sasuke had prepared for bed, using a wet rag to wash himself instead of taking a bath. As much as he'd like to take a nice, long soak, he couldn't afford to ruin his fresh stitches…

Pein, who had manifested in the broken mirror, seemed confused. "I'm afraid that I don't understand what you mean, Master."

Sasuke sighed. "I've known about you and Konan for quite awhile now. You don't need to hide it."

"There are strict rules against servant fraternization." Pein said, neither confirming nor denying what Sasuke had said. "The rules were set in place by your father, Lord Uchiha. Anything between myself and Konan is strictly professional."

"Exactly. Rules set in place by my father." Sasuke said. "And I'm overturning it."

"Master…" Pein trailed off. For the first time since Sasuke had known him, he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Don't seem so surprised, Pein. You and Konan have been loyal to my family since before I was born." He shrugged, "Somebody deserves to be happy in this cursed place."

There was a moment of silence, then, "You _will_ be happy again, Master."

Sasuke thought back to the way Sakura had tenderly attended his wounds, caring for him despite how poorly he'd treated her. Her hands had been so gentle, almost loving.

It stood in stark contrast to earlier, when he'd found her wrestling the wolf in the forest. She was clearly losing the struggle, but she wasn't about to cave. She had no weapons, had exhausted most of her chakra trying to put as much distance between herself and the palace as possible, and yet she was still doing her best not to die. The girl was stronger than she looked.

And as much as he didn't want to admit it, she'd changed him. He'd _wanted_ to go save her.

"Is this what happily ever after feels like?" Sasuke asked. Sure, the curse hadn't been broken, but somehow, the curse seemed less important now.

"It's certainly a start." Pein concurred.


	7. The Library

**Bears of the west:** I totally agree – but that is definitely crucial to the plotline. Thanks for the review!

 **Lady Yori:** Thanks for catching that little typo. I went back and fixed it right away, so it should be good now :) And Karin's fate is undecided as of now, but whatever happens to her will most certainly be fitting (I really am partial to the threat of Deidara feeding her to Kakuzu as firewood, lol).

 **Naomi Tachi:** Yeah, the pace picked up a little bit. It'll slow back down after this chapter as we veer away from the actual _Beauty and the Beast_ storyline a bit to add some filler as their relationship progresses. Thank you for leaving such kind reviews!

 **annajean1966:** Thank you! Glad to hear that you're enjoying it!

 **0/0/0/0**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 07: The Library**

The next morning, Sasuke woke late to a painful burning sensation in his side. He blinked slowly, allowing the world to come into focus a little bit at a time, as he reached up to soothe the ache.

He regretted it almost immediately when his fingers brushed against the neat, white stitches, the wound hot to the touch. Was it infected? Another graze of the fingertips along the stitches had him almost doubled-over in pain. That would probably be a 'yes', then. With a sigh, he removed his shirt to inspect the damage.

He wasn't surprised that the wound had become infected. Being taken down to the muddy forest floor in the middle of a torrential downpour created the potential for all sorts of things to enter into a fresh, bloody wound. Even the most extensive measures couldn't guarantee that the area would be completely protected against the threat of infection.

"Pein," he looked at the broken mirror, "have Konan bring in a bowl of hot water, as well as that herbal mixture my mother used to use to draw out infection. I think I have a particularly nasty one brewing."

"Right away, Master." Pein said.

Konan arrived a few moments later, a bowl of water in one hand and the herbal remedy in the other. Sasuke lay down on the nearby futon (the only piece of furniture in the room that didn't seem to be completely destroyed), baring his wound to her. She mixed the herbs with the water, before soaking the cloth in the mixture and laying it over the stitches.

She looked at the ground sheepishly, doing her best not to meet his eyes. "Master… Pein told me about what you said… how you'd overturn the rule about servant fraternization to allow us to be together." She drew in a deep breath, "Thank you."

Sasuke merely brushed it off, however, "You have nothing to thank me for. As I told Pein, the two of you have been loyal to this house since before I was born."

"You're very kind, Master." She smiled softly. "Too kind."

Sasuke found himself at a loss for words. He wasn't used to his servants regarding him with anything other than fear. To be perfectly honest, he couldn't remember the last time a servant had smiled because of him, disregarding today. It made his stomach twist in a way that wasn't quite uncomfortable – in fact, if he didn't know any better, he might call it… _pleasant_.

After fifteen minutes or so, Konan removed the cooling rag and dipped it into the water again. The water started to turn pink, and Sasuke didn't have to look down to know that he was bleeding through his stitches. Konan didn't seem to be too terribly bothered by this, so Sasuke tried not to be either. To take his mind off of it, he tried to think of other things – like Sakura.

"I should do something for her." Sasuke mused aloud, trying not to wince when Konan set the rag over his wound again. "But what?" He looked between his two servants, who looked just as lost as he felt.

"Why don't you consult Deidara and Sasori?" Pein suggested. "After all, she has spent the most time with them since her arrival at the palace."

"That's a good idea." Sasuke nodded to himself, "Send for them, would you, Pein?"

"Of course, Master." Pein said.

Konan was still tending to his wound when the two arrived. Deidara was rubbing the back of his neck, his small, clay face contorted with pain, while Sasori looked like he'd been doomed to serve with an idiot for all eternity. They walked over to Sasuke and bowed deeply, before awaiting the reason for their summons.

Sasuke looked between the two, before saying, "You two have spent the most time with Sakura since she arrived here." Sasori and Deidara exchanged a glance, but said nothing. "I want to give her something… as a way to apologize."

Deidara practically jumped at the opportunity, "Sakura absolutely _loves_ books, un! She said so herself." He tried to block out the memory of the dreaded tour. "Why don't you give her the library? It's not like you ever use it, un."

"The library…" Sasuke seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding. "Consider it done. Konan," he nodded to her.

She bowed her head in understanding, "I'll re-bandage your wounds, Master."

As soon as he was ready, Sasuke grabbed the nearest shirt and pulled it over his head. It was too large – it had probably belonged to their father at one point or another – and it hung off his body almost sloppily. He didn't seem to care.

Just before he left to go inspect the library, he turned to Pein. "Show me Sakura."

Sakura was sitting on her bed, brushing out her shoulder-length pink hair. Her back was turned to the wardrobe, and though it was impossible to hear anything, Sasuke could assume that she was pointedly ignoring Karin's useless babbling. She wore a bright yellow dress, which he imagined was the color of the sun he so rarely got to see.

The patch of gauze was glaringly white against her slightly tan cheek. She seemed to be steadfastly ignoring it as she went about her morning ritual. She'd saved his life, and had almost lost her own.

This was the very least he could do.

 **0/0/0/0**

Deidara had been absolutely right when he said that Sasuke never used the library. The library had been Itachi's favorite place – he used to say that sitting in there felt like you were hanging off the edge of the world.

One step inside, and it was quite obvious why.

The library was a large semi-circle, resting on the edge of a cliff. The far wall was made entirely of glass, with a view so pristine that you could see where the sky met the ocean… and the three-thousand foot drop off the side of the cliff into the black, murky waters below. Itachi called it breathtaking. Sasuke called it terrifying.

Shelves and shelves of books zig-zagged along the walls, forming what looked like crooked steps along the windows. With the strange angles of the shelves, it was any wonder the books stayed in place at all. There were three floors of books as far as the eye could see, and on either side of the room, a spiral staircase that would take you to the next floor.

But what caught Sasuke's attention was a particularly disgruntled-looking gargoyle, perched precariously on the second floor balcony, staring out the window.

"Jugo," Sasuke approached carefully, not wanting to startle the gargoyle. He didn't know if the other hand sensed his presence. "I didn't know that you were in here."

"Not many people do." Jugo said softly, not bothering to turn around and acknowledge his master. "It's quiet in here. I like the quiet."

Sasuke remained unconvinced, "Wouldn't you rather be outside? The view is much better from the roof."

Especially considering that, on the roof, you didn't run the risk of falling off the ledge and crashing to the floor, breaking either the floor, yourself, or both in the process.

"It's quiet in here." Jugo repeated, an edge to his voice. "I like the quiet."

Sasuke knew that it would be unwise to push him further, so he just let it go. Like most of the other objects in the palace, Jugo could move – the large, marble white wings that curled around him protectively were fully functional. If he started to fall, they would catch him. Probably. Hopefully.

Turning his back on Jugo, he began to inspect the rest of the library.

Since no human had been in the library since Sasuke could remember, he expected dust. And dust he received. Running his finger over one of the red satin armchairs, he pulled up a decent quarter-inch of dust. That simply wouldn't do.

Turning to the nearest mirror, he summoned Pein. "Do you see this?" He jammed his finger into the mirror's surface. "I want every spec of dirt gone by this afternoon, understood?"

"Understood." And with that, he went to find Konan.

 **0/0/0/0**

"Kakuzu absolutely _loves_ you, un! You've eaten more in three days than anyone's eaten in the past three years!" Deidara exclaimed, watching as Sakura finished yet another plate of food.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, the corners of her mouth pulling down into a frown. "What exactly are you implying?"

Deidara raised his hands defensively, shaking his head. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that." He pointed to the empty plate. "I just meant that it's good to see someone with a healthy appetite, that's all, un."

Sakura relaxed, causing Deidara to relax as well. "Well, Kakuzu is an excellent cook."

"I'm sure he'd love to hear you say that, un." Deidara said.

Sakura paled a little bit at the idea, remembering back to her first dinner at the palace and the fit that Kakuzu had thrown because Sasuke hadn't so much as _looked_ at the meal he'd so painstakingly prepared. She was surprised that he hadn't accidentally burned the palace down.

But then she realized that it had probably been quite awhile since Kakuzu had prepared a meal that was enjoyed by _anyone_. Since all of the servants were enchanted objects, it went without saying that they weren't going to eat. And from the way Deidara was talking, it was rare that Sasuke enjoyed a decent meal either.

"I'll be sure to tell him, then." She said, smiling.

"Oh, and by the way, un," Deidara suddenly seemed nervous, which was incredibly unlike him. "Zetsu would like your help out in the gardens this afternoon. He really enjoyed your company the other day, un."

Nobody brought up the fact that it was a clone out there with him the other day. Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that he knew, but was wisely choosing not to bring it up. She hated that she'd broken their trust like that… but she didn't regret what happened.

She looked out one of the many stained glass windows. It looked like a particularly nasty storm was brewing. And he wanted her to go outside and help with the gardens? "I don't know… It's getting pretty bad out there."

Deidara looked outside. Seeing the storm clouds rolling in set him on edge. He did some fast talking, "The others planted some new bulbs, and Zetsu needs help covering them to protect them from the storm, un."

"Oh," Sakura seemed to accept this, causing Deidara to breathe a sigh of relief. "I can help with that."

Sakura helped to clear her dishes, before disappearing into the foyer. Deidara watched her leave, before breaking into the biggest grin imaginable. He and Sasori had bet that Deidara wouldn't be able to get her out of the palace without arousing her suspicion, and Deidara had won. It wasn't often that he beat Sasori at _anything_.

He'd savor the moment.

 **0/0/0/0**

Sasuke returned to the library in the middle of the afternoon to check on the progress Konan and the other servants had made. Needless to say, he was not disappointed.

There was no a speck of dust to be seen. In addition, it seemed that they'd taken the time to wash the windows – the storm looked to be particularly brutal outside, and the windows were so clear that it looked like the storm would just keep coming until it came inside. Sasuke's stomach turned and he forced himself to look away.

The servants had waxed the floors and cleaned the carpets, making the room look ten years younger, easily. Sasuke towed off his sandals before entering inside, suddenly worried that he'd mess up all their hard work. The room looked absolutely perfect.

"Do you think Sakura will like it?" He mused to nobody in particular. Regardless, all of the servants practically jumped out of their skin. They turned to him and bowed deeply.

Konan rose, keeping her eyes lowered to the floor. "I'm sure that she will love it, Master." She assured. And then, "Is your wound any better?"

Sasuke simply brushed her off. "I'm fine. Save your worry." He gave the room one last critical once-over. "Send for Sakura."

 **0/0/0/0**

Sakura fussed with her blindfold, only to have her hand slapped away by one of Deidara's wings. She'd never actually touched the clay before, and had expected it to be wet and malleable, considering how often he changed his shape. Instead, it was rock hard, and the impact of his wing against her hand left a considerable red mark and a painful sting.

"Where are we going?" She let her hands fall to her sides, not wanting to be reprimanded by Deidara again.

"It's a surprise, un." Deidara said, leading her down a long hallway and past the staircase that led to the West Wing. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise – besides, we're almost there, un."

They entered inside the library and he led her to the center of the room, before he took the knot in his mouth and untied the blindfold. When it fell away, Sakura was met with the wall of windows overlooking the horizon…

"It's beautiful." She whispered, in awe of the view. And then, her eyes found the books.

Novels, both paperback and hardback, textbooks, scrolls, _letters_ … everything she could imagine, and _so much more_ , contained upon shelves that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was absolutely _beautiful_.

"Do you like it?" And there was Sasuke, seeming oddly nervous and kinda out of place in the middle of the room. He was doing his best not to look out the window, and she assumed the sudden drop made him uneasy.

Sakura nodded hurriedly, moving across the room to touch one of the crooked shelves reverently. "I _love_ it."

Sasuke smiled – it was a little crooked smile, almost as crooked as the shelves, and it was so small it was barely there, but it was undoubtedly a smile. "Then it's yours."

"Really?" Sakura looked uncertain for a moment, but then Sasuke nodded, and she grinned. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

She gave him a quick hug, before going back to inspecting the endless supply of books that were now _hers_. This library had to be about three times the size of the one back home. There were so many stories to read, she wondered how she'd ever find the time. And then she saw it – the book that she'd borrowed back home, that she'd never had a chance to finish.

Taking it down off the shelf, she plopped down onto one of the couches, before patting the seat beside her. He did something for her, she could do something for him, "C'mon, let's read together."

Sasuke barely had time to realize how grateful he was for her having chosen the couch that had its back to the windows, before claiming the seat beside her. Once he was situated, she opened the book to page one – _Beauty and the Beast._


	8. Dining with the Prince

**Bears of the west:** Thanks! I really tried to focus on their developing bond in this chapter as well.

 **Lady Yori:** I like the way you think! I can just see it now... Karin not realizing just how bulky she's become now that she's a dresser and wiping out shelves and shelves of books and just generally making a mess... and Juugo sending her flying out that massive window.

 **Naomi Tachi:** Yes, we will be delving more deeply into the letter in coming chapters. I think everyone will be quite surprised to find out the author :) And thank you for the comments about the characterization of the Akatsuki - I kind of like to picture them as one big, loving - if not a tad dysfunctional - family. And really, they're the only family Sasuke has left at this point.

 **Guest:** Thanks for leaving a review!

 **Jelly:** The kiss was creative liberty, and didn't necessarily happen in either the anime or the manga.

 **cinlayj2:** Thanks!

 **O/O/O/O**

 **Beauty and the Beast**

 **Ch. 08: Dining with the Prince**

Sasuke couldn't lie. Gifting her the library had been one of the best decisions that he'd made in recent memory.

Right now, he was overseeing the installation of brand new, brilliantly white curtains. They'd been custom-made - they would have had to be, just to be long enough to cover the entire window - and Sakura had selected the material. He smirked, remembering how hesitant she'd been to ask him for them.

 _"Um..." she'd closed the book they'd been reading, setting it down beside her. "You know that I love it here, right? The library... it's wonderful. It's just..." Sasuke watched her intently, unable to guess what it was she was trying so hard to say. "I don't know, I just feel like you don't enjoy it as much as I do."_

 _Sasuke had shrugged, not really sure what she was trying to get at. "The library is yours. I don't have to like it."_

 _"Yes, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I mean, I've never really had anyone that wanted to sit and read with me. Everyone always made fun of me for having my nose buried in a book, and I..." she stared down at her hands, "I don't want you to feel like you have to be here."_

 _"I highly doubt that you could force me to do something that I didn't want to do, no matter how stubborn you might think you are." Sasuke smirked._

 _She looked uncertain, but pressed on, "Well, if that's not it, then why are you always so tense?"_

 _He sighed, "If you really must know, I'm not overly fond of that window. It wasn't too bad when everything was dusty, but..." looking out that window made it seem like you were going to fall off the edge of the world, "It's been so long since I've gone outside, I kind of forgot about the cliff there..."_

 _"Oh," and then, to add salt to the wound, she actually had the audacity to_ laugh, _"Well, that can easily be fixed, right? Just put up some curtains."_

He had to admit, she really did have impeccable taste. He'd become accustomed to the reds, blues, and golds that adorned the mansion - white was a somewhat startling dissention from the norm. White, a symbol of perfect purity, didn't really seem to have a place in the Uchiha palace. The curtains were a delicate lace, with each half bearing half of the Uchiha crest. When the curtains were closed, the crest was made whole.

"Ah, who knew that lace could be so heavy, un!" Deidara exclaimed, letting the rest of the curtain fall into place. He and Sasori had been helping Konan by placing the curtain over the rod and straightening it out so that it could be hung.

"They're perfect." Sasuke admired his servants' handiwork, an almost half-smile tugging at his lips.

Deidara and Sasori grinned. That was the closest to direct praise that they'd received from their Master in a very long time, and it was nice to know that their labor was appreciated. Konan drew the curtains back just enough to allow some sunlight into the library, before transforming into an origami bird and flying off to attend to their guest. After all, it was almost time for Sakura to be getting up.

"Deidara, Sasori," both servants snapped to attention at the sound of their Master's voice. "Inform Kakuzu that I expect breakfast within the hour."

Their eyes widened almost comically. Sasuke was actually planning on eating? But they said nothing, for fear of jinxing the surprising turn of events. "We'll let him know right away, Master!"

 **O/O/O/O**

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Sakura found herself thinking about Naruto. And not just Naruto, really, but everyone in the village she'd left behind. Would Naruto move on and find some other girl to marry? Did her best friend, Ino, miss her? Or was she simply happy to not have to deal with Sakura's airiness anymore? Had her father told anyone where she was?

"Oh, you're already awake." Konan said, stopping to stand at the foot of Sakura's bed.

But Sakura wasn't really listening. She was thinking back to her last conversation with Naruto - the last conversation she'd had with anyone in her village, as a matter of fact. "Am I beautiful, Konan-san?"

Konan, momentarily caught off-guard, found herself at a loss for words. Having grown up in the palace under the rule of the Uchiha family, she'd never really thought about such arbitrary classifications as 'beautiful' and 'ugly'. In the life of a servant, those things scarcely mattered. Were your hands strong? Your feet quick? Would you die for your Master, if the opportunity presented itself? Nobody had ever stopped to think about beauty, or lack thereof.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Konan said, finally. "Over the years, I haven't seen much beauty within these walls. I've witnessed despair, and how it changes a man. I've cleaned the blood from the floor after the massacre." She sighed, "If there is beauty in this world, it's the way Master has changed now that you're here."

Sakura was silent for several moments. How had the blue-haired woman known that that was exactly what she needed to hear? How could she have been so different from Naruto, who loved her _because_ she was beautiful? "Thank you, Konan-san."

"What brought this on so suddenly, if I might ask?" Konan began to prepare Sakura's bath, filling the tub with expensive, fragrant oils.

Sakura's eyes widened, before she slowly looked down at the ground. "I've been thinking a lot, recently. About home."

Konan froze. Such conversations never ended well. Still, she pressed on, "Home?"

Sensing Konan's uneasiness, she was quick to justify, "No, I'm not planning on running away or anything like that. I made a promise, my life for my father's. I intend to keep it." And then, a little softer, "It's just that sometimes, I wonder how things are going... without me."

Konan understood how she was feeling quite well. Both she and Pein had been orphaned at a very young age, left to die in the middle of a ruthless winter. They'd been rescued by a young, soon-to-be Lady Uchiha, who was then only a few years younger than Sakura was now.

Lady Uchiha had not come from a financially well-off family. In fact, they barely had enough money to feed three mouths, let alone five. But Lady Uchiha would refuse to eat her own share until she was sure that Pein and Konan had been satisfied. There were several occasions where she was practically on death's door due to malnourishment, but she never once complained.

But even now that they had a new home, where they were happy and safe and cared for, Konan couldn't help but wonder about their friends back home. How had the other orphans fared? Had they even survived the war?

"You were rescued by Lady Uchiha?" Sakura asked. Konan motioned for her to get into the bath and she did so without a fuss.

"Not unlike you were rescued by the Master." Konan said. "She married Lord Uchiha when she was seventeen, and insisted that we come with her. She always said we were like her children. She'd even given us birthdays, as we were too young to remember our own. We were indebted to her. Her selflessness saved our lives."

"There's so much that I still don't know..." Sakura said. "And if I'm going to stay here, I want to know more about this place and the people that lived here."

Konan nodded. Her questions were understandable, but perhaps it was a bit soon to be voicing them. Sasuke was terribly sensitive about the subject at hand, and understandably so. "In time, I'm sure that the Master would be happy to answer all of your questions."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Konan answered it, cracking it just enough to peek her head outside. After all, Sakura was indecent, and only one person in the palace (besides herself, of course) still had the capability of knocking...

Sasuke stood on the other side of the door, looking as handsome as she'd seen him in quite some time. He'd cleaned up nicely, and was wearing a dark blue tunic that was draped over a crème colored turtleneck. Black pants and black boots finished off the ensemble. It was clear that he'd just washed his hair, as it clung to his face, the slightly wavy strands smelling faintly of exotic oils.

"Master, this is quite a surprise." Konan said. In the background, Sakura let out a surprised little squeak and ducked fully under the water, trying to hide her naked body.

"I actually came to speak with Sakura. I wanted to extend a proper dinner invitation." Sasuke said. "Is she around?"

Konan shook her head, "She's currently indisposed, but I'll be sure to tell her about the invitation."

When she returned to Sakura's side, the young woman was desperately trying to regain her breath. Konan handed her a towel so that she could remove the soap from her eyes. But even with the pain from the soap burning her, the pinkette still found herself _laughing_.

"You know? I think I might actually take him up on it this time."

 **O/O/O/O**

"So, um... How are you?" It was almost adorable, how inept he was at starting a conversation. But then, he probably hadn't had anyone to talk to for most of his life, other than his servants.

"I'm well. And you?" She was doing her best not to laugh because, really, he was putting forth a considerable effort and she knew how difficult it was for him. And for that reason, she could play along.

"Hn," suddenly, his body lurched forward, the movement so violent he almost spilled his tea all over himself. Seconds later, a familiar clay bird landed on the table between them, the picture of innocence. Sasuke, thankfully, could take a hint. "I'm well, also."

This time, Sakura couldn't help but chuckle. Sasuke glared, but didn't comment.

Kakuzu was mumbling to himself in the kitchen, considerably calmer than usual. It must've been a very long time since two people had sat down to a proper meal and he was going to make sure that everything was perfect. Sakura was just thankful that he wasn't fuming over how much food would be wasted and trying to burn the kitchen down...

"So, Sasuke-san..." she wasn't sure what to call him, but figured that being overly cautious was better than not at all.

This time, _Sasuke_ was the one laughing. "You don't need to use honorifics. They make me feel so _old_."

And suddenly, she couldn't stop herself, "How old _are_ you, if you don't mind my asking?"

Sasuke made quite a show of attempting to recall his age, when in reality it didn't take much thought at all. Birthdays were just about the only thing that were still celebrated in the palace. "I'm seventeen. My eighteenth birthday is in two weeks."

So he was actually _younger_ than she was. Somehow, she'd thought that he was older. But trauma tended to have that sort of effect on people, making them seem older than they actually were.

When that conversation hit somewhat of a dead-end, Sasuke countered with, "So, I take it you enjoyed your tour of the palace grounds?" They didn't need to mention the little incident in the West Wing.

Sakura beamed, "Yes, very much. The palace is very lovely."

Seeing this as his opening, Sasuke took the opportunity to tell her a little bit more about the palace. Once upon a time, the palace had housed much of the extended family, which accounted for its enormous size. There was a cemetery on the palace grounds where most of the family had been buried. The large, picture window in his bedroom in the West Wing overlooked the cemetery. A depressing sight for an equally depressed crown prince.

He told her about the curse of the flowers - those that didn't merely shrivel up and die were washed away by the massive flooding caused by the torrential downpour accompanying the summer storms. This was why Konan would make paper flowers to put on the graves of Lord and Lady Uchiha, so that they would never wilt.

Sasuke continued on until their food was brought in, and he could tell by the look on her face that he had Sakura hanging off of every word. Truly, she was anxious to hear more about the palace and the royalty that lived there - it was all a matter of how much he was willing to share with her.

They began to eat. Kakuzu had prepared prawn and tomato curry, with tomato sauce with curry essence on the side. The tomato sauce was like a salsa, thick and creamy, and incredibly rich. Sakura grinned, watching Sasuke devour his food like a man who hadn't eaten in months. "You like tomatoes?"

Sasuke paused, swallowing down an over-sized mouthful before nodding, "You could say that."

The servants watched the scene unfold from the safety of their own quarters. It certainly wasn't the most romantic dinner that they'd ever seen, but it was a start that they were sitting together, over a meal, and not trying to kill one another. She even seemed to be able to stomach his unnatural obsession with tomatoes, which they couldn't deny was impressive. Once they had finished eating, the servants made to clear the table.

Sasuke rose, before offering her his hand, "I'll escort you back to your room, then."

 **O/O/O/O**

It wasn't until later that night that he even remembered his reasoning for having dinner with Sakura in the first place.

"Damn it!" Sasuke slammed a hand down onto his broken dresser, ignorant to the fact that his actions had reduced the poor piece of furniture to ash. "I'm no closer to finding out what she took from me than I was this morning..."

Pein manifested in the mirror, "Master... surely, that wasn't the _only_ reason you attempted to make nice with the girl, was it?"

Sasuke frowned, "That girl has taken something that belongs to me. I need to know what it is so that I can know how she plans to use it against me."

Pein sighed, "What if she isn't planning on using it against you? What if she merely wants to understand you?" Sasuke turned to his mirror, remembering suddenly that Pein had eyes _everywhere_ within the palace at all times.

"You saw what she took." Sasuke said flatly.

"I did."

Pein sighed, realizing that this wasn't a fight that he was going to win. Suddenly, his face disappeared and the surface of the mirror began to ripple, before replaying Sakura rifling through Sasuke's belongings. It was difficult to make out exactly what she was looking at, as the mirror was positioned at an odd angle to where she was standing, but he was able to recognize Itachi's handwriting.

Sasuke swallowed hard, realizing the implications of what he'd just seen, "She took Itachi's letters."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry it took me forever and a day to update. Please let me know what you thought!


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